Best Day Ever
by Orlissa92
Summary: Zutara Week 2012, Day 4: Whimsical. One day spent on the Ember Island beach, Sokka foolishly gets on his brother-in-law's nerves. The only thing he doesn't consider is the fact that Zuko is backed up by five children...


**A/N: Not my best work, and was finished in kind of a haste, but I still hope you'll enjoy it :) And hey, at least I finished it in time! :D I can't help it, I love me some Dadko :)**

**Rating: K+  
Word Count: 1731  
Disclaimer: [Insert funny text here that tells you I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender] **

Times like this Zuko really, really hated his brother-in-law.

"You are really thinking this over Zuko," Sokka stated from his seat under the parasol not far from the water. "You are worrying over things don't worth worrying about. Kids are tough; they are technically indestructible!" He said kind of smugly, like he was such an expert on the topic of raising children. Like he hadn't lost his sons last year in the crowd at the Sommer Soltice festival. Like he hadn't had half the palace guards looking for them. Like he hadn't been completely crazy until they had been found, grinning and stuffed and totally happy with themselves.

Zuko just snorted and tried to ignore him. He had better things to do than listen to Sokka's slightly egoistic rant. For example, keeping an eye on the children – both of their children, just for the record.

They were on Ember Island for a much deserved vacation, inviting every member – family included – of the old Gaang along. Aang and Toph still had to arrive, but Sokka and Suki had been there for technically as long as Zuko's family, along with their three children, six-year-old twins Akiak and Suka, and one-year-old Nukka.

Ember Island was buzzing with life this time of the year – most of the noble families in the Fire Nation had holiday homes on the island, and in the recent years some richer people from the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Water Tribe had also bought properties. There was always something happening: a garden party, a banquet, a play at the theatre – and the Fire Lord and Lady was expected to attend at least some of them, even if it was their vacation, too.

That's where Katara and Suki was that afternoon – attending to some tea party or another hosted by the wife of some council member (Zuko had been told which one; he just simple hadn't found the information important enough to remember), taking the two youngest children from the house with them and thus, because of the small number of servants they had taken with themselves to Ember Island, leaving the other five to the two guys to look after.

Zuko knew from the very start that it was a bad idea, but who was he to argue with his wife? True, even Katara had said that she would have been calmer if Aang and Toph had been there to help them, but honestly, in Zuko's opinion, that only would have made the situation even more difficult. Because with the Avatar and the earthbender it wouldn't have been four adults on five children, as Katara thought – no, it would have been more like two adults on seven children.

"It's a piece of cake, really," Sokka continued, lying back on the blanket, shielding his eyes with his forearm. "Occupy them with something, distract them, and then you can even have a nap, because nothing is gonna happen to them. As I've already said: they are indestructible."

Zuko was pretty sure that Sokka wouldn't have dared to tell this Suki. Or Katara, for that matter. Even he had some basic survival instincts.

The Fire Lord let out a heavy sigh and turned his attention back to the children, who were playing in the shallow water. Nothing could happen to them? As if! He was very much aware of what could happen to an unattended child on the beach. They could have gotten carried away by a current. Stung by a jellyfish-star. Stepped into a shell. Kidnapped by anarchists. Not that Sokka cared.

Not at all.

Zuko groaned in frustration.

Sokka, true to his words, was fast asleep within ten minutes, snoring under a towel he put over his eyes, leaving Zuko all alone with five overactive children. He swore he would get back on his brother-in-law for this.

But he hadn't been on the throne for a decade for nothing; by now he had some experience in handling stressful and downright chaotic situations. And as it turned out keeping five children in check wasn't much harder than ruling a nation. Well, it was just a little bit harder.

But he did it.

Two hours after Sokka had dozed off all five children were fine and under control: the twins and Zuko's firstborn Kizo were pretty busy with discussing which fairytale hero was the greatest warrior while playing in the shallow water, Bin-bin, his there-year-old daughter was napping in his lap, while Zuko was trying to teach his older daughter, Lya, the basics of pai sho.

And Sokka was still snoring. Loudly.

And Zuko was getting fed up with him. More than usually.

It wasn't long before the boys grew bored of their debate and joined them under the parasol. Out of ideas of what to do they didn't find anything better to do than sit beside the pai sho board and constantly ask questions and/or cut him off mid-sentence to correct him – at least in Kizo's case. (Zuko was starting to regret letting him stay a month in Ba Sing Se with Uncle last winter.)

And when he was simultaneously trying to get his six-year-old understand the importance of the white lotus tile, keep his cheeky son in line, keep his nephews from beating each other up and making sure that his younger daughter wasn't woken up, was the point where he started to consider Sokka's words.

…True, not every one of them. He hadn't gone crazy yet. Only the ones about keeping the kids preoccupied. It wasn't, after all, a bad idea.

But how to do it?

He took a sideway glance at the sleeping Sokka. Now, it was his chance to get back at him…

"Kids…" He started with a sly smile on his face, which could have made his enemies cringe in fear (okay, he might have learned it from Toph). "What do you say we play a little… prank on Uncle Sokka?"

He didn't even have to tell them his plan; they were on it before knowing what he had come up with. The twins were the most enthusiastic – after all what could have been better than tormenting their dear dad?

Grabbing the little buckets and shoves they had brought down to the beach to play with, they sneaked over to Sokka – okay, sneaked might be a little bit strong of a word; they mimicked sneaking up in him, while trying stifle their chuckles and giggles. Were they still at war, Zuko thought, they would have been caught in less than a minute. But Sokka, thank the spirits, was a deep sleeper. He didn't even stir when the children, aided by Zuko started piling sand on him.

Of course the blanket he was sleeping on got ruined, but it was a small sacrifice on the altar of fun in their opinion. With some luck they could even get away with it.

Within ten minutes Sokka way covered in a three-inch thick blanket of black sand, but they didn't stop there: they started building a castle on his stomach. Okay, it's wasn't much of a castle, only small hills of sand piled on top of him, with shells and leaves for decoration. After about half an hour even Bin-bin joined them, giggling so loud that Zuko had to put his hand on her mouth, afraid that she would wake Sokka and ruin all their fun.

He shouldn't have feared that; Sokka didn't even miss a snore during their construction.

They were sorta done by the time Zuko was supposed to take the children back to the beach house – but really, it was hard to say. After all, when do you know for sure that your sandcastle is done?

There was only one problem with the whole situation.

"Daddy…" Lya whined a little, tugging at Zuko's pant leg. "Do we have to wake Uncle Sokka?"

"Well, we should," Zuko shrugged. "Mommy and Aunt Suki would be a little mad at us if we let him there." He said, picking his daughter up.

"But if we wake him he'll destroy our castle!"

Zuko considered this for a moment. Well, Sokka did deserve some kind of punishment for his antics. He really did.

And if everything turned out well Katara would even find this amusing.

"I guess then we just can't wake him…" he said with mocked sadness. "We can't have him destroy all our hard work, can we?"

The children cheered at his statement – of course, only in hushed tones. They didn't want to wake their 'castle' after all.

When they got back to the beaches house a few minutes later Katara and Suki were already there. Suki was out of sight, but Katara was standing on the porch, apparently waiting for them. When the children saw her they took off, racing each other. Zuko stayed back, watching his children and nephews with a soft smile on his face.

He reached the house about a minute after the children did, walking in a leisurely pace, and by the time he got there Katara had a funny look on her face: she had realized that something – or rather, someone – was missing.

"Zuko…" she started when he reached her, but was cut off by a soft kiss placed on her lips.

"Yes?" He asked with a way too innocent look on his face, which was, by itself, rather suspicious. The children started giggling around him, what didn't help his case. At all.

"Where's my brother?"

Just as she said this an angry yell could be heard from the distant.

"Jerkbender! If I get my hands on you, I swear…!"

Katara's eyebrows slid up to her hairline.

"Do I want to know?" Katara pinched the bridge of her nose.

"No, not really," Zuko suddenly found the situation quiet amusing, even if all five children could hardly stand because they were laughing so hard.

"Is he in immediate danger?"

"Not at all."

"Did he provoke you?"

"You could say that."

Katara shrugged.

"Then I guess he can stay there for a little longer." She sighed, then changing the topic in a blink of an eye, she turned to the children. "Now, let's get inside before dinner gets cold."

And with that, she was already in her way in.

Sneaking a glance at his mother's back, Kizo turned to his father and mouthed to him soundlessly with a huge grin on his face:

_ "Best day ever."_

**A/N: As always, I have the meaning of the new names for you :) All the names I used for Sokka and Suki's children are of Inuit origin. Akiak means brave, Suka (I had to use it, even if for the sound of it :D) means fast, and Nukka means younger sisters (okay, that's not to creative, I guess). Funny thing is, as I was searching for names, I found 'Noatak' :D Turns out it's an actual name, and it means 'The river that provides'.**


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